On The Screen

HHHH: Excellent

HHH: Good

HH: Average

H: Poor

HHH Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Though this silly movie is merely a vehicle for the comedic talent of
Jim Carrey, it is genuinely funny. Carrey's facial and vocal caricatures
are hilariously fresh, and he shines in this, his first starring role.
Playing Ace Ventura, the world's only pet detective, he is hired to track
down Snowflake, the Miami Dolphins mascot. The abduction of Dan Marino (as
himself) complicates the plot, which is surprisingly interesting,
considering the genre of the film. In a cascade of foolhardy blunders and
semi-decent detective work, Ace tracks down the perpetrators in his own
unique way. Be prepared to laugh a lot at the up-and-coming big-screen
comedian. -J. Michael Andresen. Loews Copley Place

HH Blink

Just as too many cooks can spoil a broth, so can too many subplots spoil
a movie. Blink tries to deliver a heartwarming tale about a woman
struggling to rediscover herself, a passionate love story, and a gripping
murder mystery plot all at the same time. Unfortunately, it fails on all
three counts on what is an intriguing, if unnecessarily complex, story
line. Madeline Stowe is Emma, who regains her sight through an operation
just in time to become a key witness to a murder, and Aidan Quinn plays the
police detective assigned to protect her. -JMA. Loews Cheri

HHHH Dangerous Liaisons

Incredible performances by Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle
Pfeiffer highlight this classic film about sexual intrigue. Set in the
decadent high court of pre-revolution France, the costumes and sets are
marvelous. The script is incredibly well written, with nearly every line
masking a hidden meaning. Replete with wonderful psychological plot twists
and a surprising resolution, this film cannot fail to please with its trip
through the human psyche. -JMA. LSC Sunday

HHHHIn the Name of the Father

Daniel Day-Lewis offers a riveting portrayal of a young man named Gerry
Conlon who is convicted, along with friends and family, of an IRA bombing
of a British pub in 1974. The film addresses the grave injustice that the
British government dealt the Conlons, but it uses the relationship in
prison between Gerry and his father Guiseppe (an excellent Pete
Postlethwaite) to carry the film's message of hope and redemption. Director
Jim Sheridan's pro-Irish bias provides an effective retaliation against
England's tendency to make Ireland a scapegoat for the IRA's actions. And
Emma Thompson gives a solid performance as the lawyer who struggles to
bring freedom to the Conlons. Quite simply, it ranks as one of the best
films of 1993. -Scott Deskin. Loews Copley Place

HHH Mrs. Doubtfire

After a messy divorce, Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) will do anything
to see his kids again. His plot involves becoming a woman. As Mrs.
Doubtfire, he manages to turn around his life and the lives of others.
Williams' hilarious performance and a few touching scenes make up for a
dismal beginning and much run-of-the-mill slapstick. -Craig K Chang.
Loews Copley Place

HH The Pelican Brief

Julia Roberts is a law student who has created a legal brief which
details her ideas on who recently murdered two Supreme Court justices and
how it relates to the president. Denzel Washington is a reporter for the
Washington Herald whom Roberts contacts when her lover and his
friend are killed after they see the brief. Roberts is near perfect, and
plays the stressed and paranoid student to the hilt. Washington is
convincing - playing the determined reported who will stop at nothing to
get a story. The strength of the film is in how it is able to carefully
develop its plot and keep the audience's attention until contents of the
brief are revealed at the very end. -Patrick Mahoney. Loews Copley
Place

HHH Philadelphia

Hollywood's film "about" AIDS is really about discrimination and human
dignity. Tom Hanks is the HIV-positive lawyer who alleges he was fired from
his prestigious law firm because of AIDS discrimination, and Denzel
Washington is the homophobic lawyer that agrees to take his suit to court.
The film's power lies in its message, but at times it suffers from Jonathan
Demme's heavy-handed direction, mistaking stilted sentiment for raw
emotion. Still, the performances of Hanks, Washington, and a
fine supporting cast carry the film to a near-triumphant conclusion. -SD.
Loews Cheri

HHHReality Bites

Finally, here is a twenty-something movie with a message. Winona Ryder
stars as a recent college graduate grappling with questions of identity.
Following her dream of making documentary films, she interns with a
television program and encounters a world of people too self-absorbed to
pay her efforts much attention. She meets a nice TV executive named Michael
(Ben Stiller), doesn't fall in love, and is forced to choose between having
fun with him and having a true connection with her old friend Troy (Ethan
Hawke). Through all these trials, the movie still succeeds as a comedy,
full of crazy details and witty one-liners. The actors' wonderful
performances, as well as insightful writing by Helen Childress and
directing by Ben Stiller, make this a very entertaining movie. -Gretchen
Koot. Loews Copley

HHHH Schindler's List

Director Steven Spielberg triumphs in this historical drama about Oskar
Schindler (Liam Neeson), who was responsible for saving the lives of more
than a thousand Jews during the Holocaust. Shot almost entirely in black
and white, the film takes you to the Poland of the late 30s and early 40s.
Neeson is great, carefully portraying the slow change from a man who only
cares about money to one who cares only about saving lives. Ben Kingsley
perfectly plays Itzhak Stern, Schindler's Jewish accountant who cunningly
sidesteps Nazi officials. Ralph Fiennes portrays the unswervingly-loyal
Amon Goeth, the Commandant of the Nazi labor camp. Through Fiennes the
audience is able to witness the hatred, brutality, and widespread death.
Overall the movie is incredibly powerful, and brings to light one of the
darkest periods of human history. -PM. Cleveland Circle

HHH1/2 What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Bolstered by excellent performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, who received a
Golden Globe nomination for his role, and Johnny Depp, this film may be the
most honest and original film of the year. Gilbert Grape (Depp) is plagued
through much of the film by a nagging ambivalence to the problems in his
life. The ways in which he eventually confronts these problems, however,
are so subtlely reached that the story can never be accused of plot
manipulation or cliche. -SD. Loews Nickelodeon